


You've Got Mail (From Your Brother's Brother)

by notfreyja, Straight_Outta_Hobbiton



Series: Girl Meets World [2]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gaila is on Earth, Gen, Guess Who's Back, Kid Fic, Pike Family Fun, Tarsus IV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 04:19:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10528815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notfreyja/pseuds/notfreyja, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Straight_Outta_Hobbiton/pseuds/Straight_Outta_Hobbiton
Summary: While Jim is on Tarsus IV (you know, suffering), his adoptive sister Gaila is getting to know her new home planet— that's Earth, if you were wondering.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a continuation within the Doubt the Stars 'verse, following Gaila's POV during The Kids (Aren't) Alright. Hope you have fun with Gaila while pretending to be blissfully unaware of everything that happened in that other fic at the exact same time. Don't look. Everything's fine. Tarsus is a lovely farming colony and Jim's having fun riding cows or something.

Jimmy:

So apparently I’m going to go live in a colony for like, two years.

It’s called Tarsus IV.

I won’t be able to message much.

Apparently there’s some kind of interference in communications thanks to like, an ion cloud or something.

So Sam’s gonna check on you sometimes, okay?

So you know we haven’t forgotten you or something.

 

Gaila:

A colony? That souns fun.

 

Jimmy:

Sounds*

Don’t forget to practice your spelling while I’m off playing John Wayne.

Apparently the environment’s perfect for wheat and cattle.

It’s like the American Mid-west, except the cacti shoot spines instead of letting you just run into them.

Cool, huh?

 

Gaila:

Very cool.

So, Daddy says his sister lives in Arkansaw. I have lots of new couzins.

Cousins*

I caught it.

 

Jimmy:

Nice.

But it’s spelled ‘Arkansas’.

Easy mistake.

 

Gaila:

Wait.

What?

Why?

Why would anybody spell it like that?

 

Jimmy:

I don’t know.

Americans are weird.

I think it might be a native word.

Regardless, American spelling make no sense.

 

Gaila:

You’re right, it doesn’t.

So, Sam’s going to message me? I’ve never met him.

 

Jimmy:

Yeah, he’s alright.

Kinda weird.

Not like me or Mommy at all.

He’s kinda boring, honestly.

But he’s nice.

 

Gaila:

Okay, if you’re sure he won’t mind.

 

Jimmy:

He knows better than that.

Mommy’s going to message you too, sometime.

And Number One.

And the Captain, obviously.

But probably mostly Sam.

He’s only in college, so he’s not doing anything too important.

 

Gaila:

Daddy says school’s important, and that college counts as school so I have to go when I get big enough.

 

Jimmy:

Supposedly it makes life easier.

But that’s only if you’re not naturally gifted, like us.

 

Gaila:

Thanks, Jimmy.

 

Jimmy:

No problem.

 

Gaila:

I miss you.

 

Jimmy:

I miss you too.

  
  


*.*

  
  


Unknown Comm:

Hey, this is Sam. Is this Gaila?

 

Gaila:

Yes.

Hi, Sam.

 

Unknown Comm:

Hey. Nice to meet you.

 

Gaila:

Nice to meet you, too.

 

Unknown Comm:

Are you doing okay?

 

Gaila:

Yeah, I think so.

 

Unknown Comm:

Good. Text me is you need anything, okay?

 

Gaila:

Yeah, okay.

Thanks.

 

Unknown Comm:

No problem.

  
  


*.*

  
  


Gaila:

Can you explain something to me?

 

Sam:

Sure. What’s up?

 

Gaila:

So, Daddy’s first name is Christopher.

And Aunt Krisy’s name is Kristina.

Is that normul to do with twins?

To give them the same name, I mean.

 

Sam:

Oh, no.

Krisy’s name wasn’t always Kristina. She changed it.

 

Gaila:

Oh. 

Why would she do that?

 

Sam:

Because she didn’t like her old name.

 

Gaila:

Was it ugly?

 

Sam:

I don’t think so. I mean, I like the name Michael.

 

Gaila:

Isn’t that a boy’s name?

 

Sam:

Yes.

 

Gaila:

Her parints gave her a boy’s name even though she’s a girl?

 

Sam:

Well, they didn’t know she was a girl when they named her. When Krisy was born, they thought she was a boy. But she wasn’t, so she changed it. It’s kind of complicated.

 

Gaila:

Oh.

I changed my name, to!

too*

Well, I made it longer.

 

Sam:

Did you?

 

Gaila:

Yeah!

My name was Gaila, and now it’s Gaila Kirk Pike.

 

Sam:

That’s fun. Did you tell my Mom that you’re a Kirk now?

 

Gaila:

Mommy says she’s always wanted a girl.

She seemed pritty happy.

 

Sam:

Really? That must have been interesting to see.

Listen, I have class. I’ll talk to you later, Gaila, okay?

 

Gaila:

Okay.

Thanks for explaining, Sam.

 

Sam:

No problem.

  
  


*.*

  
  


Gaila has six new cousin altogether, but she only lives with four of them. It’s kind of weird. She was the only kid, when she still had owners, and then it was only her and Jimmy. Now, though, there’s Sean and Veronica and Alanna and Bryan, and they always have friends over. It’s not a bad kind of weird, though. It’s fun! Just different.

 

Aunt Krisy’s a teacher at the high school where Sean goes for summer school. He’s really smart, but he’s kinda stupid, too. Kind of like Jimmy, except he isn’t as smart as Jimmy. Jimmy’s never done something bad enough that Security brought him back to Mommy’s quarters, or at least, he’s never gotten caught. Sean gets caught a lot, by police officers in cars with bright red and blue lights and shrill sirens.

 

The cars scare her, the first time they pull up to the house. The police officers scare her too, at first, because they stare. Aunt Krisy says it’s because they’ve never met an Orion before, but it still felt kinda weird. Officer Longmire was nice though, once he got used to her, and even let her borrow his freaky hat so she could send a photo to Daddy, so she figures they’re okay.

 

Auntie Ren works as a cook at a kind of restaurant called a diner on weekends. She teaches Gaila how to make real, blueberry pancakes and all the different ways a person can cook an egg. Gaila likes them boiled. Veronica’s a vegan, so she doesn’t eat eggs at all, but Alanna, who’s going to be in Gaila’s class when she starts school in the fall, likes hers scrambled, and Bryan likes them best sunny-side up.

 

Gaila’s cousins are very nice. It must be a Pike thing.

  
  


*.*

  
  


Sam:

When do you start school?

 

Gaila:

Tomorow.

 

Sam:

Don’t be nervous. School’s fun.

 

Gaila:

I’m not nervous.

What if nobody likes me?

 

Sam:

Statistically, someone’s bound to like you, Gaila.

 

Gaila:

But what if they don’t?

 

Sam:

They will. Trust me.

 

Gaila:

People keep staring at me when Aunt Krisy takes us for brekfist at Auntie Ren’s job.

 

Sam:

They’re probably just curious. Don’t be worried, Gaila. Just do what Jimmy does.

 

Gaila:

What does Jimmy do?

 

Sam:

He ignores any opinion anyone might have and goes ahead to do whatever he wants. Mommy calls it Kirk Confidence.

You’re a Kirk. You’re allowed to act like one.

 

Gaila:

There are police here, Sam.

I don’t want to get in trouble.

Daddy would be disapoynted.

 

Sam:

You’re way too smart to be Jim’s friend.

 

Gaila:

I’m not his friend, I’m his sister.

 

Sam:

Right.

You know, if you’re Jim’s sister that kind of makes you my sister, too.

As your big brother (and somebody with Terran school experience), I’m telling you: you’ve got nothing to worry about. People will like you. You’ll make lots of friends, and when Jimmy leaves Tarsus, you can teach him how to make friends without causing an incident.

You’ll be fine, Gaila.

 

Gaila:

Are you sure?

 

Sam:

Yes.

 

Gaila:

Thanks, Sam.

 

Sam:

No problem.


	2. Chapter 2

Alanna’s desk is on the other side of the classroom from Gaila’s, set up in a little square with her friend Ruby and two boys that look like they might be twins. Alanna made a point of introducing them all to her new cousin, and they seemed okay, but then the teacher told them all to go to their seats, and Gaila had to go find her name tag, which was taped to a desk on the  _ other side of the room. _

 

School is not going to be fun. She can feel it already.

 

The kid that sits across from her is almost perfectly round, with big, puffy cheeks and stick-out ears. He’s Human, they’re  _ all _ Human, and most of them are staring at her.

 

_ You’re a Kirk. You’re allowed to act like one. _ Sam’s words come to mind, and Gaila straightens her shoulders and stares back, mouth pinched with annoyance.

 

The girl next to the round boy is pale, with a long, freckle-dusted nose and hair almost as red as Gaila’s. She’s staring, too, brown eyes magnified by thick, Coke-bottle glasses. When Gaila turns her gaze on her, she looks away.

 

The seat next to her is empty until it suddenly isn’t, full of a gangly boy with longish brown hair and a slight overbite.

 

“Hey guys,” he says, grinning at the others at the table.

 

“Hey, Louis.”

 

“Hi, Lou.”

 

Louis throws his backpack onto the floor next to his chair and turns to Gaila, shoving a hand out in front of him.

 

“Hi, I’m Louis Garner,” he says. “What’s your name?”

 

“Um, Gaila Pike.” She takes his hand and shakes firmly. Mommy says a firm handshake establishes dominance.

 

“Nice to meet you, Gaila. Why are you green?”

 

He’s the first one to honestly ask, rather than just stare, and the sincerity in his voice throws Gaila for a loop.

 

“I— I’m Orion,” she says. “I was born green.”

 

“Cool!” he pushes back his hair to reveal radioactive orange buds in his ears— hearing aids. “I was born with hearing loss. And ADHD, but nobody can tell that by looking at me, so it’s whatever.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Louis smiles. There’s a gap between his front teeth, big enough to stick a straw through.

 

“Orion, huh?” he asks. “So you’re not Terran.”

 

“No— well, not yet. Daddy says my paperwork is still being processed, so…” she trails off, shrugging.

 

“My Mom says that Orion girls are all slaves,” the red-haired girl pipes up.

 

Gaila stiffens, eyes going wide. Does everyone know? Does everyone think they know? Oh, no, this is going to be  _ awful. _

 

“Shut up, Lana. You don’t say stuff like that.”

 

Louis’ mouth is pressed into a thin line over his over-sized teeth, like his face wasn’t meant to stay that way.

 

Lana looks away.

 

“Sorry,” she mutters. “But Mom  _ said _ .”

 

Louis sighs and gives Gaila an apologetic look.

 

“Lana’s autistic,” he says. “Sometimes she says stuff she shouldn’t. When she does that, you should tell her.”

 

Oh. Well, Gaila knows what autistic is. Bryan’s autistic. He explained it to her when she first moved in, shoulders hunched over a scale model of Moscow he’d been building.

 

“That’s okay,” she says. “I’m not mad. I was just… does everybody think that?”

 

None of the other kids speak. Well, that answers that question.

 

Louis breaks the awkward silence by gesturing at the fat boy.

 

“This is Aaron,” he says. “He’s non-verbal, but he signs. Do you know sign? I can teach you, if you want.”

 

Gaila blinks.

 

“I… okay, I guess.”

 

Aaron’s hands move through the air in a pointed sort of way.

 

“Oh, right. Aaron’s asking what you need help with,” Louis says. “Since you’re sitting with us.”

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

“We’re all Special Needs,” Lana says. “We get extra help from teachers and stuff.”

 

“I… nobody said anything to me,” Gaila says. “I don’t think I need help.”

 

Aaron signs something again.

 

“Aaron says it’s probably because you’re from off-planet,” Louis says. “That happens, sometimes, if you’re not in the school system? Clark Collins was homeschooled until fifth grade, so he was with us for awhile, until the teachers were sure he was okay academically. You’ll probably get moved in a few months, once they think you don’t need help.”

 

He sounds a little put-out by the notion. Gaila appreciates that.

 

“Well, I guess we’ll see,” she says. “Regardless, you guys seem pretty cool. Do you mind me hanging around?”

 

Louis grins.

 

“Not at all,” he says. “Newcomers are always welcome.”

  
  


*.*

  
  


Chris feels a little awkward when he comms Gaila at the end of his shift. Despite her decision (because it  _ was _ her decision) to consider him her father, he’s not… well, he’s not sure how far that goes. He’s not sure what she wants from him.

 

“How was your first day at school?”

 

Gaila shrugs.

 

“It was okay,” she says. “The teacher didn’t let me sit with Alanna, and math’s really easy, but I made some new friends, I think.”

 

Chris smiles.

 

“Yeah?”

 

She nods.

 

“Yeah. Louis and Lana and Aaron. They’re Special Needs, too.”

 

“Special Needs?”

 

“Yeah. Louis thinks it’s because they don’t know where I fall, academically, but I sit with the other kids who need extra help,” Gaila says. “We have an teacher’s aid who’s supposed to help us if we get stuck during class. Her names Miss Kyle, she’s really nice.”

 

Chris can see the logic of it. Gaila’s level of education is unknown, and besides Jimmy and Winona and even Chris’ input, there’s no real way to know until Gaila starts handing in work. Still, it seems a little odd that they’d just not inform him. He is her legal guardian, after all.

 

Maybe they told Krisy. He’d ask her later.

 

“Well, I’m glad you’ve made some friends,” he says. “Did you get any homework?”

 

“No, just lists of stuff to get. Auntie Ren’s gonna take us all school shopping this weekend for work PADDS and stuff— she says we can’t bring our personal ones to school.”

 

That tone is familiar, and it makes Chris laugh. If she weren’t green and half a foot shorter, she’d be Winona, displeased at the prospect of a ship-wide inspection.

 

He keeps asking questions, about her new friends and life on Earth. She tells him, honest in a way only a kid can be. He lets her go when she starts yawning, because she’s got to be up in the morning and needs to keep a schedule, an odd, warm feeling in his chest.

 

Gaila’s a good kid. He could do worse.


	3. Chapter 3

Gaila:

So Mr. Roades told Aunt Krisy I’m dysleksick.

Dyslexic*

I’m not, though.

I can read just fine!

 

Sam:

Well, why did he tell Aunt Krisy you’re dyslexic, then?

 

Gaila:

I’m not good at spelling.

I ask for Miss Kyle’s help a lot.

 

Sam:

Well, you’re new at written Standard.

How are your other subjects? Are you having trouble all around, or is it just spelling?

 

Gaila:

Just spelling.

Sometimes I have trubble reading new words.

But that’s because Standard doesn’t make sense!

 

Sam:

You’re not wrong. Standard is weird.

Well, it’s been a couple months, now. If everything else is okay and it’s just that, maybe they want to make sure you’re still getting help until you’re up to par. That happens, sometimes.

I wouldn’t be too worried about it.

 

Gaila:

You think so?

 

Sam:

Yeah.

What’s going on with that girl? That mean one.

 

Gaila:

Taira Loring.

She called me a slut at recess yesterday and Louis punched her.

 

Sam:

Did he get in trouble?

 

Gaila:

Sort of.

He got suspended.

But Momma Garner wasn’t mad at him and took us out for icecream when she came to pick us up after school.

So, no?

 

Sam:

That’s good. Jimmy’ll be happy to hear you’re doing okay.

 

Gaila:

Have you talked to him?

 

Sam:

No, but he’s probably too busy leading a rebellion against the Governor to talk, anyway, fighting for the right of thirteen year olds to build spaceships or something.

You know how he gets.

 

Gaila:

Probly.

How’s college stuff?

Do you have a girlfriend?

Boyfriend?

Person-friend?

 

Sam:

You’re worse than Jimmy.

No, I don’t have a girlfriend. Just me and Aurie against our Psych teacher.

 

Gaila:

She seems nice.

You should date her.

 

Sam:

I’ll get right on that.

 

Gaila:

Do it.

Jimmy’s in love, so you should be too.

It’s only fair.

I have to go.

Alanna and Ruby and Louis and me are going to Johnny’s band play.

He just got out of jail, so it’s sort of a ‘Welcome Home’ party.

 

Sam:

Take notes. You’ll need to throw more than one of those for Jimmy, mark my words.

Message me if you need anything.

 

Gaila:

Okay.

Thanks, Sam.

 

Sam:

No problem.

  
  


*.*

  
  


“Gaila Pike, to the front office.”

 

Gaila frowns and pushes herself to her feet. She hasn’t done anything to merit a visit to the office.

 

“What’s wrong?” Louis asks. “What’cha do?”

 

“Nothing, I think,” she says. “Unless they figured out who painted the bathroom stalls.”

 

THEY DIDN’T, Aaron signs. OR ELSE THEY’D BE CALLING ALANNA, TOO.

 

Good point. Well, she’ll find out when she gets there.

  
  


*.*

  
  


Auntie Ren’s waiting for her when she finally walks into the office, shoulders stiff and hair still pulled back in a hairnet.

 

Gaila’s stomach drops.

 

“Auntie Ren, is something wrong?”

 

“Not here,” she says. “Krisy’s on her way. Let’s go,  _ yuko.” _

 

Japanese. Oh, this must be really bad, if Auntie Ren’s speaking Japanese. Usually she reserves her first language for when they  _ really _ mess up.

 

“Auntie Ren, what’s happened? Did I do something?” Gaila’s starting to feel a little scared now. She’s never seen the woman so out of sorts, half-angry and half-nervous and…

 

“No, no.” She shakes her head as she bundles Gaila into the car a practically speeds towards home. “Your Dad’s coming to pick you up.”

 

Gaila’s breath catches. If the Farragut is coming all the way back to Earth just to get her… “Why?”

 

Auntie Ren stops, taking a deep breath.

 

“Jimmy Kirk just came from Tarsus IV,” she says. “And he’s really,  _ really _ sick. There was… there was a… something bad happened, and he wants you.”

 

Something in Gaila goes cold, very cold. Which is probably a good thing, because otherwise she’d be sick, she’s sure of it.

 

“What happened?” she asks, numb. “What happened to Jimmy, Auntie Ren?”

 

Auntie Ren runs a hand through her hair, aggravated.

 

“There was a massacre, Gaila,” she says. “There was a massacre, and Jimmy survived it, and he wants you, so he’s going to get you. Okay?”

 

Gaila nods quietly. The rest of the drive is silent.

  
  


*.*

  
  


The ship is eerily quiet when Gaila materializes on the transporter pad. It has been, since they picked up Jimmy. It seems no one escaped the mind-numbing concern that had taken Chris upon bringing that boy aboard again, too thin and so angry.

 

He pulls Gaila into a tight hug when she steps towards him, sighing as something in his gut loosens. She looks okay— scared, worried, yes, but healthy. Safe.

 

Number One is waiting by Jimmy’s bedside when they get to Medbay. Jimmy’s asleep, for once, uncomfortably still against the stark white sheets of the biobed. Gaila is quiet for a long moment, eyes glued to her brother’s gaunt face, to his too long, yellow-blond hair. Then she looks up, eyes burning, at Number One.

 

“The man that did this,” she says, words soft and furious. “Is he dead?”

 

Number One stares back, assessing. Pike doesn’t know if she’ll actually answer in front of him— he’s not supposed to know, after all. If he does, he’s obligated to arrest her.

 

She nods, but doesn’t speak. Pike can see the movement out of the corner of his eye, just the impression of it, but he isn’t directly looking at her, so he can’t be sure. Good. It would suck to have to break the law, even if it was for a good reason.

 

Gaila blows out slowly, shoulders slumping.

 

“Okay,” she says, sliding carefully onto Jimmy’s bed. “Okay. I’m going to sleep here. Okay, Daddy?”

 

Chris nods.

 

“That’s fine,” he says. “Just be careful, okay? Jimmy’s… he’s got a long way to go, yet.”

 

Gaila doesn’t answer, already tucking herself against Jimmy’s side, head resting in the hollow where his shoulder meets his neck. It paints an odd picture, Chris thinks, gazing at the pair in the bed. When Gaila first came aboard, she hadn’t looked quite so thin, quite so tired, but next to Jimmy she’d looked awful, pilfered green uniform shirt hanging off her slight frame like a curtain. She isn’t so skinny anymore, now. Now, she looks like a normal little girl, his old shirt faded and shrunk from regular washes so it fits more like a proper shirt as opposed to Dobby’s pillowcase, and Jimmy…

 

Jimmy looks like Chris is secretly happy to be strongly suspicious about the death of a certain governor.

 

Number One’s hand finds the curve of his elbow and draws him away, leading him back to his quarters with the same sort of gentleness usually only reserved for Jimmy at his most upset. He doesn’t fight her on it even though he’s technically still on duty. He’s been pulling double shifts ever since Jimmy came back and Number One glued herself to his side, so he’s tired. Tired and anxious and angry in a way he never thought he could be.

 

Number One sits him down on the edge of the bed and pulls his shirt up over his head, tossing it into the laundry pile before kneeling to work off his regulation boots.

 

“You remember what happened,” he says, watching her with slightly glassy eyes as she pulls at his laces. “When I found Gaila in the cargo hold?”

 

Number One pauses.

 

“I do,” she says. It was the first time she had ever seen Chris truly aggressive outside of a political setting. There was a lot of blood, a lot of begging. She was impressed.

 

“I hope that…” Chris clicks his tongue. “I hope that whatever happened to Kodos was ten times that.”

 

Number One seems to think that over, before nodding quietly to herself and returning to her task.

  
That’s all the affirmation Chris needs. He can go to sleep now.


End file.
